Not much but here it is... Want feedback on setup

Originally Posted by twitch54

WAF = Wife Acceptance Factor




yes move, if WAF allows, them out past your TV screen, you will notice a difference !

Originally Posted by Daman S

Looks very comfortable and cozy! I would definitely recommend the fronts more forward so that they clear the tv stand and also bring the center speaker forward so that its on the edge of the base its sitting on.

Originally Posted by Daman S

Nice! Hope it passes the WAF If you do want to go the separates route i would start with the main 2 speakers first and then maybe get a good center to match them. You can probably snag a decent price for the JBL's at craigslist if you do upgrade. Regarding the amp i would suggest first decide on the speakers and then choose the amp because IMHO each amp works differently with different speakers.

Another suggestion would be to actually move the rear speakers to the sides since that is the normal position for a 5.1 setup. I don't know if you can do that or not(WAF?).. but in case you cannot then an alternative can be that when you upgrade the front 2, move the existing fronts to the sides(so you don't have to mount anything on the walls and no wires hanging around).

Originally Posted by Kai Winters

Nice setup and room. An open layout is always difficult to work with. Sound goes everywhere...I have a similar layout.
You may want to move your fronts a bit wider to widen your sound stage.
If the location of the surrounds work and give the feeling of "effects" going on around and behind you you are doing ok.
It is always difficult working a home theatre system into a living room. You just do the best you can with what you have and not worry about it.

If you enjoy the sound of your speakers don't worry about replacing them. If you are considering replacing them go audition speakers at your local shops. Replacing fronts/center and sub may cost around $1200 for nice gear...you don't want to spend $300 for gear that will not satisfy you.

Good luck and keep us informed.

Originally Posted by Daman S

+1 to what he said. Word of caution, if you have a rough ballpark of your budget add 20-30% to it at least since you will always end up liking something that is slightly over your budget

Jokes apart, if you do have an idea of how much you want to spend on the front 3, one can start there. You can post here and also in the speakers section and will get some great advice. It will all boil down to subjective listening as each person has his/her own preferences. I would definitely recommend the front 3 to be from same manufacturer for timbre matching. The sides need not be(but it would still be good if you can).

Originally Posted by Fanaticalism

This is going to be based solely on your budget. Also, seeing as sound is severely subjective, once your budget is decided, the best most can do is recommend brands, and you would have to let your ears decide.

Originally Posted by ddgtr

Hey plasmattack,

Very nice setup indeed, clean and classy. Great advice from the posters above. You're definitely on the right track. I love that Viera, too!!! Nice job on cable management!!

Originally Posted by ldgibson76

Hello plasmattack.

Kai Winters couldn't be any more on point with his estimation of cost for a decent surround package for the money.

First, let's not get it confused, you are a victim of the WAF syndrome!
If you think you are going to get away with speakers that aren't in harmony with the rest of the LIVINGROOM decor, you are sadly mistaken!
The budget is an often overlooked ingredient of the WAF!
So here are your qualifiers: 1) Budget 2) aesthetic compatibility and 3) good performance for the designated area.

Now if, and I emphasize "IF", your budget is $1200.00, may I suggest the Polk Audio TSi Series.

http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/tsi/

TSi 300 Towers in Cherry $400/pr.
CS10 Center Channel in Cherry $180.00
TSi100 Surounds in Cherry $300.00 and
the PSW111 Powered Sub $250.00
Total: $1280.00 before haggling!

Now I know there will be posters that will dispute this suggestion, granted. But I've heard this exact speaker package and I must say, the performance in a 20 x 14 room, and it didn't sound bad at all, especially for the money. And they have a small footprint and they look very nice and would match the decor of the room nicely.

Again, this is all on the assumption of a $1200.00 budget.

BTW, your setup is tastefully done and does not encroach on the room.

Regards.

Originally Posted by davidjschenk

Waddaya mean, "not much?" You living room is beautiful and so is the AV equipment you have in it! It looks to me like you have a very well-ordered home and the rig, while not using all of the world's most expensive parts, has what all look like very good parts offering an excellent bang-to-buck ratio. I say "well done, mate."

I agree with the other respondents that upgrading the sound system is very much a matter of taste and financial resources. Sound equipment easily gets so expensive that non-millionaires quickly confront diminishing returns on it. If the sound quality were good to my ears, I'd keep what you already have, as the components are lovely and fit the look of the house admirably. Of course, if you're unsatisfied with the sound quality, then you've got some research to do. Fair Warning: the "A" part of "AV" is dizzyingly complex. If you start down that path, be careful that you don't get lost, as I did. There is just so much to learn there.

Yours,

David

P.S.: ldgibson76's suggested Polks do look lovely, I must say.

Originally Posted by Daman S

Timbre matching is the related to the fact that mostly all the vocals in movie tracks these days are confined to the front 3 speakers. Since each speaker has its own 'sound' the vocals may sound different from speaker to speaker. So for a seamless front soundstage where the voice does not suddenly thin out/go deep etc when the sound moves from say right to center, the front 3 need to be from the same manufacturer.

ldgibson gave an excellent suggestion with the Polks! I have owned the RTi's from Polk previously and they are a very dynamic speaker. They also mate very well with the Yamaha's IMHO.

Some other suggestions right off the top of my head would be from SVS

http://www.svsound.com/products-spks.cfm

or maybe something from av123( do a google search for it- avs is not allowing me to post a link to av123 site)


Also look at stuff from Klipsch, Energy, Infinity, Paradigm. While SVS and av123 are internet direct speakers(meaning you cant goto a store to listen to them) they do offer 30 day in home trials. For the others you can find dealers near you that sell these and you can give them a listen before you buy.

If you are planning to keep the Yamaha then i will also suggest that if the dealer has a yamaha receiver try to get him to play that with the speakers. It will give you an idea of how the speakers will eventually sound with your gear.

Originally Posted by Kai Winters

WAF is very important to me. I indulge my hobby with few "side eyes" by my wife. But I am also careful to save my money, make...lol try to...informed purchases and not be wasteful of our limited monies.
Sometime soon I can move my gear to my finished family room...now my son's living room. He is going into the Navy soon and while I will miss him I am excited about finally getting the opportunity to take a completely finished 13x26x8 room and turning it into a more proper home theatre environment...nothing crazy just a relocation and better setup of my gear...well maybe a new bit of gear or two hehehe.

Originally Posted by ldgibson76

[link 19]




Yes, Kai did give you great info in his post, but in addressing and thanking Kai
for his info, you embedded my post, therefore it looks as if you are giving Kai
credit for my post. No worries though, it's not as if I enlightened you or hipped you to some great epiphany! I do wish you the best in you speaker search.

Regards.

Originally Posted by techlvr33

Hey how are you,very nice setup and very nice room,http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1091036 ,here's mine with polk speakers in cherry your right they would look great with your floor.